n.
Pronunciation: ' ä-liv, -l ə v
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin oliva, from Greek elaia
Date: 13th century
1 a : a Mediterranean evergreen tree ( Olea europaea of the family Oleaceae, the olive family) cultivated for its drupaceous fruit that is an important food and source of oil also : the fruit b : any of various shrubs and trees resembling the olive
2 : any of several colors resembling that of the unripe fruit of the olive tree that are yellowish green
3 : an oval eminence on each ventrolateral aspect of the medulla oblongata